Chris Matthews: 'If You're Really Anti-Gay, You Become Catholic Now' (VIDEO)

A comment made by MSNBC's Chris Matthews was brought into question on Monday, when the host sat on a Presidents Day panel at Ford's Theatre in Washington D.C.

"If you're really anti-gay, you become Catholic now," Matthews said during the "Presidential Leadership Panel." During the question and answer portion of the event, Newsbusters' Scott Whitlock asked Matthews to clarify his statement.

"Earlier tonight, you were talking about Nixon and the Southern Strategy and bigotry and things like that and you said, quote, 'If you're really anti-gay, you become a Catholic now,'" Whitlock said. "I was wondering if you were saying that bigots become Catholic now and if you wanted to expand or apologize for that?"

Matthews answered, "I think there are people who have chosen to convert to the Catholic faith because they don't like the liberal positions taken by their sectarian groups. That's a fact. So, you can write that down." As Whitlock began to ask a follow-up question, Matthews reiterated, "No. You can write that down, what I just said."

Whitlock pressed, "So you're saying Catholicism is drawing bigots? Is that what you're saying?" Matthews responded, "I'm saying that some people who are bigoted against gay people have changed religions."

WATCH (via Daily Caller):